DNC's Kaine picks panel to reform Democrats' entire nominating process

Good news for Michigan and Florida Democrats. You might not get cut out of the party's messy primary voting process again in 2012.

Of course, with an incumbent Barack Obama, the Democrats' presidential-candidate-picking process may be moot:

Assuming the rookie Great Change Agent quickly fills five dozen empty slots at Treasury, fixes the nation's economy, creates multiple millions of jobs, reforms the country's entire education system, makes it affordable to every American, creates a thriving green economy, reduces dependence on foreign oil, solves the housing crisis, keeps interest rates low, prevents inflation, avoids an Afghan quagmire, cuts taxes for 95% of Americans, screws over the other 5% and halves the national debt.

Oh, and cleanses the culture of greed and entitlement on every U.S. street including the one named Wall.

Last year's Democratic primaries were hardfought even bitter affairs, not helped by the initial banning of the results of those important twin states, which denied Hillary Clinton two crucial albeit sneaky victories.

And all presided over by another former unsuccessful Democratic presidential candidate, Howard Dean.

Dean is gone now, unceremoniously dumped and denied a Cabinet job by the Obama camp, in favor of parttime chair, Gov. Tim Kaine of Virginia. He''ll take over fulltime next year to earn his D.C. chops and, come 2012, probably replace aging Joe Biden as Obama's VP who, you may remember, was a senator way back when Obama was a sixth grader. (Although keep your eyes on Missouri's most Twittering senator.)

But watch out. CNBC announced today that Dean has signed on there as a commentator. Now, all that cable channel needs is some viewers and Dean can be heard to get even on-air.

The 37-member Democratic Change Commission will be headed by Sen. Claire McCaskill (who likes to Twitter) and Rep. James Clyburn, both ardent Obama backers. And Obama's ex-campaign manager David Plouffe is also on.

The goal, Kaine says, is "to put voters first and ensure that as many people as possible can participate." A complete list of commission members is below; scroll down or click on the "Read more" line.

The commission, which grows from a convention resolution by Obama last August, will have three goals: chop the number of superdelegates, reform the caucus system and change "the window of time" for caucuses and primaries. Should Iowa and New Hampshire be worried?

The commission's report is due by next New Years Day.

-- Andrew Malcolm

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Photo: Associated Press

            Membership of the 2009 Democratic Party Commission on Change:

Co-Chairs: Sen. Claire McCaskill, Missouri, and Rep. James Clyburn, South Carolina.

Members: Jeremy Alters, Florida; Jeff Berman, Washington, D.C; Ashley Bliss, Georgia; State Rep. Dan Blue, North Carolina; Bill Carrick, Los Angeles; Mayor Michael Coleman, Columbus, Ohio; Jeff Forbes, Washington; Joan Garry, New Jersey; Kansas state chairman Larry Gates; Adelita Grijalva, Arizona; Rob Hampshire, Pennsylvania; Ned Helms, New Hampshire.

Also on the commission: Alexis Herman, Virginia; Tribal Chairman Ron His Horse Is Thunder, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe; Teamsters Pres. James Hoffa, Michigan; Roseanne Hope, Minnesota; Nevada state senator Steven Horsford; Suzie LeVine, Seattle; UAW CAP Director Dick Long, Michigan; Andres Lopez, Puerto Rico; Patricia Madrid, New Mexico; Debbie Marquez, Colorado; Illinois state senator Iris Martinez; Jennifer McClellan, Virginia; Montana secretary of State Linda McCulloch.

Also: Iowa attorney general Tim Miller; Minyon Moore, Washington; Sunah Park, Pennsylvania; Plouffe, Washington; Rebecca Prozan, California; James Roosevelt, Jr., Massachusetts; Rep. Linda Sanchez, California; Randi Weingarten, New York; Oregon state chair Meredith Wood Smith; Martin Yeung, South Dakota.

Comments

[canaan]

Oh, great. The foxes in charge of the henhouse - or should I say, the thieves in charge of the jewels.

All Obama is going to do is find more ways to cheat in the caucuses and intimidate/buy off superdelegates.

[fsteele]

Reform? Write up Pelosi's abuses of the 2008 rules -- and make those the official rules in future.

The superdelegates were a protection against packing caucuses as McGovern did c. 1972 and Obama did in 2008. So of course Obama wants to weaken them.

But if caucuses were held tomorrow, there might be crowds showing up with tea bags.

[Just Sayin]

You know I think is actually a move to block out any potential dems from taking on Obama in 2012. He knows that he is going to be vulnerable but wants to ensure that the nomination business does not open him up to a serious challenger from within his own party.

We shall see, but you heard it here first from me!

[Lori McMaster]

As I remember during the primaries that the process was bias and one sided toward a candidate. We all know Hillary Clinton should of won. We felt that she was cheated. How is putting all of Obama's supporters on the reform panel going to non bias?
Lori

[AliceP]

There is not ONE impartial person on this commission. The caucuses were gamed by the very people in charge of this "commission" So here we go with the DNC vetting itself again. This is utter b.s. There are no democrats left at all now since fair reflection died this year and no one was held accountable for the ACORN paid caucus cheaters. Who the hell do they think they are kidding. Certainly not those of us who were there and saw what happened.

There is no point in voting, they just hand it over to whoever cheats the most with their help and blessings.

We need REAL reform with honesty and transparency. We need accountability to voters when the entire system is gamed. With this bunch of liars in charge will never have that. Good bye dems, I won't be supporting you anymore. Oh, and stop sending me emails and requests for funding. I don't fund vote stealing.

[teresainpa]

Great, Now Obama's ballot stuffing, elder bashing, voter bussing and down right delegate stealing can be enshrined forever by his supporters.
Remember that HC was the choice of the people in the democratic primaries, it was only be refusing to count and take seriously the votes of the people that Obama became the nominee.

[Michael Johnson]

I think the biggest news here is Howard Dean as CNBC contributor, after Obama's continual snubs against his greatest asset in getting elected. This has been a good story very underplayed by the media. I'm glad the LA Times is not forgetting it. Passing over Dean for HHS Secretary & Health Czar are actually a major reason why I want vote for Obama again. He has made poor choices in Cabinet picks, but it will be a breath of fresh air to see the brilliant Howard Dean still in play.